Gritty win for the Magpies strengthens their hopes of a top two finish in the ABA men’s A-grade competition

The Denmark Magpies have returned from the mid-season break in the best possible way, sailing to a comprehensive 20-point win over the Infernos in round 11 of the Albany Basketball Association men’s A-grade competition on Tuesday. The Infernos went without a basket for almost the entirety of the first half as their opposition asserted their dominance early, piling on 18 unanswered points. The Magpies had to stave off a concerted effort from the Infernos in the second half but the damage was done by that point as they recorded a comfortable 40-21 win. The Magpies’ Gus Brampton bagged the first points of the game with an easy look under the rim before Reagan Hutchinson pulled up for a clean three-pointer in a rampant opening. Luke Wilson converted a pull-up jump shot and Flynn Wauters added to the scoring streak with a simple lay-up down low. Hutchinson rattled inscored another triple without hesitation as they streamed ahead with a 12-0 start, leaving the Infernos in all sorts of bother. The Magpies employed a high press up the court, causing problems for the Infernos in transition as they forced multiple turnovers and steals. The Infernos conceded six more points before the Magpies were penalised for a goal-tend on Tamuka Bangi, who broke the scoring drought in the final stages of the half. The Infernos started brightly in the second half, with Dillan Gadean nailing a triple and Kye Griffiths converting a three-point play after being fouled on a spin move in the paint. However the Magpies kept finding answers for the remainder of the half as the two sides traded baskets in the late stages of the contest, and the Infernos slumped to their third loss of the season. The result leaves the Magpies in second spot on the ladder, but just one point separates the top three. Hutchinson had 10 first-half points and added seven more on his way to a game-high 17 points (three triples) while Wilson chipped in with eight points of his own. Kye Griffiths was the top scorer for the Infernos with 11 points, while Gadean and Bangi had six and four points respectively. Meanwhile the Sonics consolidated top spot on the ladder with an 18-point win over the Barking Owls. Callum Dixon hit 16 points (three triples) and David Arthur also shone with 15 points (two triples) on their way to a 51-33 victory. Railways’ Lachlan Cale nearly got his side over the line with an 18-point performance against the Griffins but they fell short in the final stages, going down 34-37 in a valiant display.